Floor mat

ABSTRACT

The floor mat contains a main piece with a number of first interlocking elements configured along a circumference of the main piece at intervals. Each first interlocking element contains a protrusion and a gap. The main piece also has a number of corner elements, each configured at a corner of the circumference. A hollow frame member is for the embedment of the main piece and has a number second interlocking elements matching the first interlocking elements along an inner circumference of the frame member. Each corner of the frame member has two perpendicular cuts end-to-end connected together and a slant cut running through a joint of the perpendicular cuts. As such, the floor mat can be pieced together in all directions, regardless of which side is up. The frame members can have their corners adjusted and fit on the main pieces to conceal their exposed interlocking elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention is generally related to floor mats, and more particular to a floor mat that can be pieced together in all directions and whose rugged edges can be appropriately concealed.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

For babies or children to play in the house, parents usually arrange floor mats on the floor to prevent injury. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a conventional floor mat mainly contains a main piece 1 with consecutive interlocking elements 11 along the main piece 1's circumference so that a number of conventional floor mats can be pieced together. For these pieced-together conventional floor mats, the interlocking elements 11 along the outer edges are joined to frame pieces 2 (as shown in FIG. 8) so that these outer edges are smooth.

However, the conventional floor mat has the following disadvantages.

When these conventional floor mats are pieced together, if some floor mats are of a wrong direction or upside down, these pieced-together conventional floor mats may have bumps or sinks at the corners, thereby causing bulges when joined to the frame pieces 2.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore a novel floor mat is provided so that that the floor mat can be pieced together in all directions and whose rugged edges can be appropriately concealed.

The gist of the present invention lies in the specially design and arranged interlocking elements so that the floor mat can be pieced together in all directions, regardless of which side is up. And perpendicular and slant cuts at the corners allow the corners to have various shapes to fit joining corners of neighboring floor mats, thereby preventing bulges.

The floor mat contains a main piece with a number of first interlocking elements configured along a circumference of the main piece at intervals. Each first interlocking element contains a protrusion and a gap. The main piece also has a number of corner elements, each configured at a corner of the circumference. A hollow frame member is for the embedment of the main piece and has a number second interlocking elements matching the first interlocking elements along an inner circumference of the frame member. Each gap connects a neighboring first interlocking element's protrusion or connecting a neighboring corner element. Each corner of the frame member has two perpendicular cuts end-to-end connected together and a slant cut running through a joint of the perpendicular cuts. As such, the floor mat can be pieced together in all directions, regardless of which side is up. To conceal the exposed interlocking elements from a number of floor mats pieced together, the frame members can have their corners adjusted and fit on the main pieces to conceal their exposed interlocking elements.

Therefore the problems of the conventional floor mats, such as they have to follow a specific direction or have a specific side up when pieced together, otherwise bulges at the corners would occur. To conceal the interlocking elements, the frame pieces would also cause overlaps and bulges.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram showing a floor mat according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top-view diagram showing a main piece of the floor mat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top-view diagram showing frame pieces of the floor mat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram showing the detachment of a frame member from the floor mat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective diagram showing three floor mats of FIG. 1 pieced together.

FIG. 6 is a top-view diagram showing a frame member of the floor mat of FIG. 1 with its corners partially removed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective diagram showing three floor mats of FIG. 1 pieced together with their exposed interlocking elements concealed.

FIG. 8 is a top-view diagram showing a conventional floor mat.

FIG. 9 is a top view diagram showing a main piece of the conventional floor mat of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a floor mat 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention is integrally formed and contains the following components.

There is a rectangular main piece 31.

Around a circumference of the main piece 31, there are a number of first interlocking elements 32 configured at intervals. Each first interlocking element 32 contains a protrusion 321 and a gap 322 connecting a neighboring first interlocking element 32's protrusion 321 or connecting a neighboring corner element 33 (see below). Each protrusion 321 is extended laterally from the circumference for a first distance.

There are a number of corner elements 33 at the main piece 31's corners, connecting gaps 322 or protrusions 321 of two first interlocking elements 32 from neighboring edges of the main piece 31, respectively. Each corner element 33 is extended from the circumference of the main piece 31 for a second distance. The second distance is smaller than the first distance and, specifically, the second distance is one half of the first distance.

The floor mat 3 further contains a rectangular and hollow frame member 4. There are a number of second interlocking elements 41 matching the first interlocking elements 32 along an inner circumference of the frame member 4. At each corner of the frame member 4, there are two perpendicular cuts 42 end-to-end connected together and a slant cut 43 running through a joint of the perpendicular cuts 42. The perpendicular cuts 42 form an included right angle and the slant cut 43 forms an included acute angle against each of the adjacent perpendicular cuts 42.

Please note the interlocking elements 11 along two opposing edges of the main piece 31 are staggered, meaning that one interlocking element 11's protrusion and gap 321 and 322 on one edge are aligned with another interlocking elements 11's gap 322 and protrusion 321 on an opposing edge, respectively.

To piece a number of floor mats of the present embodiment together, for reference's sake, one main piece is referred as 31 a and another one is referred as 31 b. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the main pieces 31 a is first removed out of the corresponding frame members 4 a. Then, assuming that a bottom edge of the main piece 31 a is joined to a top edge of the main piece 31 b. As shown in FIG. 5, the protrusions 321 a are embedded into the gaps 322 b and the corner elements 33 a and 33 b are matches against each other. Please note that, each main piece has a diagonal line from an upper right corner to a lower left corner, separating the main pieces into two symmetric halves L and R. Therefore, when a main pieces 31 b joins to another main piece 31 b, the main piece 31 b can join to any edge of the main piece 31 a as long as one's L half matches another's R half and vice versa. Please which side of the main piece is the top side is of no significance either. As such, the main pieces can be pieced together flexibly. Especially, where the main pieces are of different colors, various colorful patterns can be achieved. Please note that the corner elements 33 a and 33 b are extended from the circumferences of the main pieces 31 a and 31 b for a distance that is one half of the distance for which each protrusion (e.g. 321 a) is extended from the from the circumferences of the main pieces 31 a and 31 b. The corner elements 33 a and 33 b exactly match each other without causing bulges.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 6, each of the four corners of the frame member 4 can be removed along the perpendicular cuts 42 and/or the slant cut 43 so as to form corners of various shapes. Four edges 44 of the frame member 4 can also be removed individually. As shown in FIG. 7, after the main pieces 31 a and 31 b are pieced together, their corresponding frame members 4 a and 4 b can have their corners adjusted and fit on the main pieces 31 a and 31 b to conceal their exposed interlocking elements. As shown in FIG. 7, for frame member 4 a and 4 c, their joining corners are adjusted to have slant corners and therefore match each other exactly.

As described above, the floor mat of the present invention overcomes the prior art's disadvantages as follows.

With specially designed corner elements, floor mats can be pieced together regardless of which side is up. The floor mats can be pieced together in all directions. The perpendicular and slant cuts at the corners allow the corners to have various shapes to fit joining corners of neighboring floor mats.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention. 

I claim:
 1. An integrally formed floor mat comprising: a main piece; a plurality of interlocking elements configured along a circumference of the main piece at intervals, each comprising a protrusion and a gap; and a plurality of corner elements, each configured at a corner of the circumference; wherein each gap connects a neighboring interlocking element's protrusion or connecting a neighboring corner element.
 2. The floor mat according to claim 1, wherein each protrusion is extended laterally from the circumference for a first distance.
 3. The floor mat according to claim 2, wherein each corner element is extended from the circumference of the main piece for a second distance; and the second distance is one half of the first distance.
 4. The floor mat according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking elements along two opposing edges of the main piece are staggered so that one interlocking element's protrusion and gap on one edge are aligned with another interlocking element's gap and protrusion on an opposing edge, respectively.
 5. An integrally formed floor mat comprising: a main piece; a plurality of first interlocking elements configured along a circumference of the main piece at intervals, each comprising a protrusion and a gap; a plurality of corner elements, each configured at a corner of the circumference; and a hollow frame member for the embedment of the main piece having a plurality second interlocking elements matching the first interlocking elements along an inner circumference of the frame member; wherein each gap connects a neighboring first interlocking element's protrusion or connecting a neighboring corner element; and each corner of the frame member has two perpendicular cuts end-to-end connected together and a slant cut running through a joint of the perpendicular cuts.
 6. The floor mat according to claim 5, wherein the perpendicular cuts at a corner of the frame member form an included right angle.
 7. The floor mat according to claim 6, wherein, at a corner of the frame member, the slant cut forms an included acute angle against each of the perpendicular cuts.
 8. The floor mat according to claim 5, wherein each protrusion is extended laterally from the circumference for a first distance.
 9. The floor mat according to claim 8, wherein each corner element is extended from the circumference of the main piece for a second distance; and the second distance is one half of the first distance.
 10. The floor mat according to claim 5, wherein the first interlocking elements along two opposing edges of the main piece are staggered so that one first interlocking element's protrusion and gap on one edge are aligned with another first interlocking element's gap and protrusion on an opposing edge, respectively. 